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F.A.
| romaji = Fōmyura Asurīto | fr_name = F.A. | it_name = F.A. | de_name = F.A. | ko_name = | ko_romanized = Pomyulleo Aeseulliteu | pt_name = F.A. | es_name = F.A. | sets = | tcg = * Code of the Duelist * Circuit Break * Extreme Force * Flames of Destruction | ocg = * Extra Pack 2017 * Extra Pack 2018 }} "F.A.", short for "Formula Athlete" ( Fōmyura Asurīto) is an archetype of WIND Machine monsters. It is one of two formerly ''TCG''-exclusive archetypes that debuted in Code of the Duelist , the other being "Vendread". Design The archetype is based on a futuristic motor racing theme, with some elements referencing the motorsports events such as Formula One or Grand Prix Motorcycle racing. So far, all monsters of this archetype have original 0 ATK. The archetype is a counterpart to the "U.A." series, another TCG-exclusive archetype that are designed around futuristic sports stars, a direct contrast to the design of the "F.A." series. Playing style Similar to the "Fortune Lady" archetype, the "F.A" monsters get stronger the higher their Levels. However, instead of naturally gaining Levels in the Standby Phase, they have an effect that gives the option to increase their Levels each time an F.A. Spell/Trap card or effect is activated. They also have no maximum Level, and are therefore capable of being Level 13 or higher. This makes their Level increasing a lot faster and more aggressive. All non-Tuner monsters revealed thus far gain 300 ATK x their own Level and have effects and support cards that increase their Levels further. Of particular note are the F.A. Field Spells that grant 2 extra Levels in either the Main Phase, the Battle Phase, or both. This, combined with the fact that they search any F.A. card but themselves when destroyed by a card effect, makes them integral to the F.A. theme. However, unlike the "Fortune Lady" archetype, the F.A. is less about increasing Levels than it is Level control. Being a Synchro-focussed deck, it rewards players for considering which monster to Summon before making their plays, and adjusting the Level of the monsters they control accordingly. The only on-archetype Tuner monster so far, F.A. Auto Navigator, allows the player to reduce any F.A. to its original Level, then Summons itself from the hand or GY at the Level the target lost. It also searches an F.A. Field Spell when Normal or Special Summoned, further increasing its value to the player and compensating them for the loss in card advantage Synchro Summoning entails. So, by adjusting the Level of the target beforehand, basically any generic Synchro monster in the game can be Summoned. By matching the Level of the F.A. monsters, it is possible to Xyz Summon most Xyz monsters too, but this strategy is less effective, as there are many other strategies that are more effective for Xyz Summoning. Some powerful Xyz monsters like Cyber Dragon Infinity and Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir can contribute situationally however. The F.A. Quick-Play Spells are incredibly powerful, with the ability to give the deck lots of options when played from the hand (or Set as response cards) while often contributing to the Deck's Summon power by banishing themselves from the GY. F.A. Downforce can give F.A. monsters an temporary two Level boost both from the hand and from the GY, but F.A. Pit Stop and F.A. Test Run are central to the Deck's capabilities. Pit Stop drops an F.A.'s Level by 2 to draw cards equal to the number of Pit Stops in the GY +1 (akin to a stronger Good Goblin Housekeeping), before banishing itself from the GY to Special Summon any F.A. from the GY. Test Run on the other hand, changes an F.A.'s battle position to destroy any card on the field without targeting(similar to Kozmojo without banishing) before banishing itself from the GY to destroy a card the player controls and Special Summon an F.A. from the deck(akin to Zoodiac Barrage). Test Run in particular can destroy a Field Spell to give an extra search while Summoning an F.A. of choice, a play that often leads as a minumim to an instant F.A. Motorhome Transport nearly for free. PSY-Framelord Omega is therefore very valuable to keep recycling the Quick-Plays as they banish themselves, and is often one of the Deck's first Synchro Summons. The various downsides of these cards can often be turned into upsides by some creative play with Levels, keeping in mind that the F.A. monsters can raise their Level by 1 each time any of them is activated. The F.A. strategy is therefore twofold. On one hand it is about rapidly raising Levels and delivering a straightforward beatdown. On the other hand, it's about destroying the Field Spells to get whatever card is needed, and getting monsters to the correct Levels for the circumstance. More often than not in the latter case, the correct Level is at least 7, as this allows for the secondary effects of the regular F.A. monsters to come into play and for F.A. Dark Dragster to be Summoned. Some of these Level 7 effects are on par with some of the most powerful monsters in the game, and this, combined with the fact that the regular monsters' primary effects weaken monsters lower Level/Rank than them, means that any F.A. has the power, given a couple of turns, to become an unstoppable force of nature. Indeed, this is one of the deck's greatest strengths. Flames of Destruction introduced a third element to the F.A. strategy, a win condition in F.A. Winners. While it is not recommended to include this card in all F.A. decks for consistency reasons, a deck built around it is not actually bad. It is a Continuous Spell card that allows the player to banish an F.A. Field Spell from their hand, field or GY when an F.A. 5 Levels or more higher than its original Level inflicts battle damage to the opponent while battling their monster, and when all 3 Field Spells have been banished by this effect the player wins. This is surprisingly good as it cannot be destroyed by card effects while the player controls an F.A. monster, and even if the opponent removes one of them, Winners does not care which Winners banished the Field Spells, only that they were banished by any F.A. Winners. However, getting an F.A.'s Level up by 5 requires both a Field Spell and F.A. Downforce, or the risky F.A. Dead Heat. However, Dead Heat's potential to activate Winners on the opponent's Battle Phase by raising the Level and ATK of an F.A. in response to an attack makes it worth the risk, potentially allowing an F.A. player to wrap up the Duel in 2 turns going second, banishing 1 Field Spell in each Battle Phase. This strategy is however vulnerable to attack response Traps like Storming Mirror Force and F.A. Dead Heat can backfire badly. Members Level-based Support-based Support Weaknesses * As a conventional strategy without the insane Summon power seen on top-level decks at the moment, F.A.s are vulnerable to Anti-Meta strategies that can handle the high ATK of the F.A. monsters. * The effects of the F.A. Spell/Trap cards are almost always hard once-per turns, limiting their swarming capability, and forcing them to almost always rely on one or two high-Level F.A. monsters that can be picked off by powerful removal cards. * Because most of the F.A. plays begin with a Quick-Play in the GY, and their effects cannot be activated the turn they are sent there, F.A.s are almost always vulnerable on the first turn, going first or second. If they cannot Summon F.A. Dawn Dragster going first they can easily fall victim to an OTK. Most F.A. decks therefore play a first-turn engine of some kind, especially one that involves destruction of their Field Spell. Examples include Destrudo the Lost Dragon's Frisson and Dragon Ravine, Zoodiac Barrage and Cockadoodledoo, or Ancient Gear Catapult. * Any card which negates the effects of the F.A. monsters is a huge problem, leaving all F.A.s with 0 ATK. * F.A.'s are very reliant on their GY for longevity, and can lose very quickly to Macro Cosmos or Masked HERO Dark Law, unless they already have Test Run to remove them. * F.A. Auto Navigator is often the only reliable Tuner in the Deck, and any card which can get rid of it like Called by the Grave or Chain Disappearance is a huge issue. * With the changes to the ban list banning Ancient Fairy Dragon and Limiting PSY-Framelord Omega, F.A.s have lost most of their Extra Deck power besides their own cards. * The F.A. Mirror Match is incredibly hard to win due to F.A. Hang on Mach's banishing effect, the fact that F.A. Spell/Trap activations or Field Spell passives on either side raise all F.A. levels and the indestructability of F.A. Motorhome Transport making it near-impossible to out without cards like Cyber Dragon Infinity. Recommended cards Official Decklists |effect monsters = * F.A. Hang On Mach x3 * F.A. Sonic Meister x3 * Gold Gadget x3 * Silver Gadget x3 |pendulum monsters = * Risebell the Summoner x2 |fusion monsters = * Thousand-Eyes Restrict * Panzer Dragon * Sea Monster of Theseus * Mavelus |synchro monsters = * Vermillion Dragon Mech |xyz monsters = * Cyber Dragon Infinity * Cyber Dragon Nova * Gear Gigant X * Lightning Chidori * Tornado Dragon |link_monsters = * Linkuriboh |spells = * F.A. Circuit Grand Prix x3 * F.A. Downforce x2 * Kaiser Colosseum x2 * Instant Fusion x3 * Galaxy Cyclone x2 * Pot of Desires x2 * Chicken Game * Terraforming x2 * Limiter Removal |traps = * Metaverse x2 * Summon Limit x2 * Quaking Mirror Force x2 * Powerful Rebirth * Vanity's Emptiness }} References